$PATH changes after logging in as root?

J--Lew · 09-26-2005, 03:43 PM

Hey guys, I don't know if this is strange or not, but I couldn't seem to find it posted anywhere else on this forum. What happens is when I start a terminal session, everything is fine. But then after I log in as root, and then back to a regular user, my entire $PATH variable has changed:

Code:

jlewis@linux:~> echo $PATH
/home/jlewis/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/bin:/usr/games:/opt/gnome/bin:/opt/kde3/bin:/usr/lib/jvm/jre/bin
jlewis@linux:~> su
Password:
linux:/home/jlewis # echo $PATH
/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/X11R6/bin
linux:/home/jlewis # su jlewis
jlewis@linux:~> echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin

It seems as if after I log back as jlewis, the root user's $PATH is carried over.

any ideas?

Thanks guys

free_ouyo · 09-26-2005, 03:49 PM

Hello,

jlewis@linux:~> echo $PATH
/home/jlewis/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/bin:/usr/games:/opt/gnome/bin:/opt/kde3/bin:/usr/lib/jvm/jre/bin
=> Normal user $PATH

jlewis@linux:~> su
Password:
linux:/home/jlewis # echo $PATH
/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/X11R6/bin
=> root with su $PATH

linux:/home/jlewis # su jlewis
jlewis@linux:~> echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
=> user $PATH with su

exit from 'su jlewis' ,exit from 'su root' and the $PATH should be the original.
--
free_ouyo

jailbait · 09-26-2005, 03:56 PM

When you su to root you get the su PATH, not the root PATH. When you su to jlewis you get the su PATH, not the jlewis PATH. When you exit from su you go back to the PATH you had before you called su. That is the logic behind free_ouyo's explanation of how to get back to the jlewis PATH.

------------------------
Steve Stites

J--Lew · 09-26-2005, 04:05 PM

Ok thanks guys that was a lot simpler than I assumed!

Thanks again!

chrism01 · 09-26-2005, 09:15 PM

If you use 'su -', the '-' tells it to log you in as that user INCLUDING the user's normal login environment ie it'll use his .bash_profile, .bashrc files.